


Erasing Lines in the Sand

by 2shytheshippy



Category: Pitch (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 06:32:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9871601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2shytheshippy/pseuds/2shytheshippy
Summary: Ginny learns a hard lesson about rules.





	

**Author's Note:**

> All you need to know is that they don't play baseball and met each other in others ways. lol
> 
> I don't know how this will be received, but I must go where my muse takes me. This is one of my experimental fics, which is it's not apart of my one shots.

1.

 

It began with: I have a rule about dating friends—I don’t.

 

In the beginning, guys nodded their heads at her rule, and then proceeded to pursue her anyways down the line. They’d go on about how much they liked her and how she should give them a chance—make an exception. But, Ginny stuck hard and true to her rule. She wouldn’t date her friends.

 

There were several reasons behind this decision—why she made it an explicit rule which she verbally communicated in the beginning of every friendship: guys often used friendship as a way to get close to her and she wanted be clear from the start that it was never going to happen.

 

Even then, there was countless time where a guy sprung his feelings up on her or expected reciprocation of feelings she didn’t even feel. Or they thought she should “reward” them for their friendship on special occasions.

 

It was disheartening and tiresome.

 

Did guys just see a pretty face and lacked the ability to just be friends?

 

Ginny felt less as a person—did she have anything to offer as a friend or were they just not interested?

 

Inevitably, all of the guys who claimed to be her friends left her life as soon as she shut them down. In their minds, there was no point in staying around if she didn’t want more than friendship. Her friendship was useless to them. She wasn’t someone they could hang out with or be vulnerable around even if it was just platonically. If they couldn’t kiss, touch on her, or fuck her, what was the point of even being around?

 

The other reason—the reason that kept her up the most and that frightened her deeply: what would happen if they dated, and then broke up. The breaking up part didn’t frightened her, it was the ‘what happens next part?’

 

Could they still go back to being friends?

 

Would everything be irrevocably ruined?

 

As much as Ginny wished, she didn’t believe that any friendship in which she dated her friend could go back to normal if they crossed that line and broke up. She didn’t believe that their friendship could survive it. Perhaps if it was a short relationship and they just weren’t compatible. But, if they had something long, deep, and serious—how could anyone go back?

 

That wouldn’t take months that would take years to fix.

 

Even then, they’d have to fully move on from each other and, hell, even be in a relationship with someone else that trumped everything they ever had with each other. Because some exes do fall back into bed and relationships with one another from time to time, and it would be easy for two people who knew each other so well to fall into that familiar pattern.

 

But, what if it ended disastrously?

 

What if they hated each other or could barely look at one another? What if it was yelling and fighting and choosing sides?

 

Every great, happy memory would be tainted and painful.

 

Ginny couldn’t take the chance and so she didn’t.

 

~

 

Rules are only as powerful as much as they are enforced, especially the consistency of said enforcement. Because when you make a rule, you have to apply it and it has to be across the board. Sometimes you break your own rule or make exceptions, but either way, if it happens too often, is your rule really a rule?

 

Or are they just words?

 

~

 

Adhering to her rule wasn’t easy (which Ginny naively thought it would’ve been).

 

She wasn’t attracted to all over even most of her male friends, but after a while, she understood why many people crossed that line. How could you not be attracted to someone who knew you so well and complimented certain aspects of your personality?

 

Until Trevor, no one seriously made her reconsider her rule.

 

Until Trevor, she hadn’t made an exception for anyone.

 

After Trevor, she won’t again.

 

~

 

As much as Ginny tried to pretend her friendship with Mike Lawson was like everyone else’s, it wasn’t.

 

It was indefinable and magical and made her happy in ways she couldn’t put into words.

 

When she first told Mike about her rule, his eyes dimmed a bit, he nodded as he said, “Okay” before he quipped, “I don’t know why God made me so damn irresistible to women…”

 

Mike looked at Ginny expectantly; she knew he was waiting on for her to bite and would keep up at it until she did.

 

“Why is that…” She raised an eyebrow as she bit her lip.

 

“Don’t blame me when you fall in love with me,” he stated. Mike then gestured to himself. “All of this…it’s kryptonite to women…or catnip depending on if we’re fucking or dating.”

 

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Considering that little situation you got you looking like a cousin from Duck Dynasty,” she began. “The warmest thing I’m going to feel for you is toleration.”

 

Mike smacked his lips. “Oh please…you love the beard.”

 

Ginny grinned as she shook her head. “I do not, Old Man…”

 

~

 

After a certain point, you stop lying, stop trying to fill in the holes, and start going with the flow.

 

There aren’t any rationalizations or justifications, it just is.

 

~

 

Perception can influence how one receives information.

 

Such as: Mike likes to sleep in just his briefs even during winter.

 

Or: he sweats profusely with additional clothes on, but is just fine with being covered by a hill of comforters or the body heat of another person.

 

Or: whenever Mike is having a troublesome day, he’s the little spoon whenever he cuddles.

 

The thing is: Mike’s exes never told Ginny that. Mike never even told Ginny that; she learned it from firsthand experiences.

 

She remembered the first night she shared a bed with Mike as he unsuccessfully tried to explain that he got extremely hot and soaked his clothes. By the middle of the night, he was sans shirt and shorts as he comfortably settled back into bed.

 

It didn’t make any sense to Ginny, but she rolled with it (and kinda prefer sleeping on and next to a shirtless Mike).

 

They cuddled a lot and exchanged Eskimo kisses just because.

 

Their hugs went on too long and Mike always gave her too long forehead kisses, which she reciprocated with just as much intensity.

 

They sometimes even spent the day in bed together.

 

What would be the perception of others if they found out what Mike and her did while alone together?

 

~

 

Consistency is defined as a. conformity in the application, which is necessary for the sake of fairness b. the way in which a substance, typically a liquid, holds together, thickness or viscosity.

 

~

 

It ended with: Good, because there’s nothing to talk about.

 

2.

 

A week or so before Mike began pulling away from her; he was angry and pissy.

 

Ginny was moments away from confronting Mike about it before he offered her an apology for his bad temperament. Although it was heartfelt, Mike could barely look at her as something weighed on his troubled mind. As much as Ginny pushed, Mike remained tightlipped before he gave her a sad smile.

 

This moment would forever haunt Ginny for the next two years.

 

~

 

6 MONTHS

 

See, the thing was: their friendship never changed—not really.

 

For months, Ginny tried to push the issue, but she found herself unable to vocalize her observation.

 

Because there was no neutral way to ask your friend, “Why don’t you touch me anymore?”

 

Their hugs weren’t unnecessarily long, there wasn’t any lingering forehead kisses, and they stopped cuddling, and no longer shared a bed—the things she didn’t do with her other friends. (Because those things weren’t platonic, but she refused to allow it; to allow them to be anything more)

 

So, she always kept it vague, “You’re acting different.”

 

And, Mike would ask, “How?”

 

Knowing she couldn’t honestly answer it, Ginny always shrugged before dropping the subject altogether.

 

One day, she finally got fed up. “So, we just aren’t going to talk about it—like nothing happened? Like you’re not different?”

 

“Yes,” he answered. “Because there’s nothing to talk about.”

 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Ginny repeated incredulously. “Fine, let’s go with that.”

 

Mike clenched his jaw before he audibly exhaled. “Good, because there’s nothing to talk about.”

 

~

 

15 MONTHS

 

She missed Mike.

 

He was there, but not really.

 

Well, that wasn’t fair to Mike. He was there for her and a damn good friend. Mike listened to her, was there whenever she needed him, they hung out regularly, spoke every day, still kicked each others asses in games and kicked asses together.

 

They were still Mike and Ginny, but they weren’t.

 

Ginny felt like a shitty person because she couldn’t have asked for a better friend, and yet; she missed the flirtation between them or how they refused to acknowledge the countless boundaries they crossed.

 

Ginny missed flirty Mike; she missed cocksure Mike who knew that she wanted him; she missed warm and vulnerable Mike; she missed them.

 

~

 

24 MONTHS

 

Evelyn was going to kill her.

 

Bored, Ginny nursed her beer as she scrolled through some random Buzzfeed article.

 

Desmond was a great guy, really. She could speculate all day about how it just wasn’t right and something was missing, but the truth of the matter is: his only flaw was that he wasn’t Mike.

 

And of all places to break up with him, it had to be at a party.

 

It was a combination of things: Mike being newly single (again), them sliding into their old banter, and him forgetting his rule of not flirting with her.

 

Ginny supposed he was drunk, but she’d take anything at this point.

 

At that moment: Ginny realized several things: she was in love with Mike, two minutes of flirting with Mike had been far more fulfilling than six months with Desmond, and she was in love with Mike.

 

How in the hell is she supposed to stay with her boyfriend knowing that she was head over heels with her best friend—one who she misses his touch and kisses.

 

Granted she could’ve waited until the end of the night, but at least she gave him an opportunity to go home with someone. (It’s bullshit, but she’d just made a huge fucking discovery—give her a break)

 

Why? Ginny’ll never know, but she hid before the car when she heard voices nearing the garage.

 

“Thanks for helping me man,” Blip said as Ginny heard the refrigerator open.

 

“No problem,” Mike replied.

 

Ginny’s stomach dropped. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

 

“Sorry to hear about you and Rachel…again.” The two sat cases on beer on the trunk.

 

“No, it’s…it’s fine,” Mike dismissed. “It just wasn’t meant to be—not everyone can meet the love of their lives at a concession stand during their sophomore year in college.”

 

Blip chuckled. “Yeah, but still…I just thought second time would be the charm, you know?”

 

Ginny stopped breathing for a moment as she stilled.

 

“You and me both,” he agreed.

 

“It’s funny,” Blip said. “I used to think you and Ginny would end up together, but it was going to happen, it would’ve already happened I guess.”

 

Mike cleared his throat. “You know Ginny has a rule, Blip.”

 

“I know, but still…” he argued. “A few years ago, I would’ve bet everything I owned that you two would’ve crossed that line.”

 

“And you would’ve been wrong,” Mike countered.

 

“Bullshit,” Blip denied. “Are you saying you weren’t and have never been interested in Ginny?”

 

“No,” Mike answered. “I’m saying that Ginny isn’t and has never been interested in me.”

 

At this, Ginny’s throat tightened as she struggled to swallow. She wasn’t and has never been interested in Mike? Ginny balked at the statement. Even before she realized that she was in love with Mike, Ginny was quite aware of her feelings for her co-worker even though she wouldn’t admit or acknowledge them out loud.

 

But, the very idea that Mike thought she wasn’t interested in him unsettled her. God, she wanted nothing more than him.

 

Blip laughed. “I’m sorry, but I’m calling bullshit on that as well, Mike.”

 

“Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean you aren’t wrong,” Mike refuted.

 

“Look man, I don’t claim to know Ginny’s feelings with 100% certainty, but if she was going to break her rule for anyone, it would be you.”

 

‘It should’ve been him—it should be him,’ Ginny thought.

 

Quietly, Mike mumbled, “Ginny has broken her rule before—twice.”

 

“ _What_? No, she hasn’t, Mike,” Blip, denied. “Where’d you hear that from?”

 

Her stomach dropped.

 

How did he know that?

 

“Her,” he revealed.

 

Huh?

 

“About two years ago,” Mike started. “I overheard her talking with Livan…”

 

_“Papi, stop…” Ginny weakly slapped Livan’s shoulder as grabbed her ass. His fingers disappeared between her legs as he held her close._

_If it hadn’t been for the way Ginny said Livan’s name in a flirtatious manner or how she widely smiled at the man, Mike would’ve beat Livan’s ass, no questioned asked._

_And yet, Ginny pushed down against his hand._

_“Oh, you want me to stop?” He teased as he hand stilled._

_Ginny groaned in dismay._

_“That’s what I thought.” He grinned at the woman before he pulled her in for a kiss. Hungrily, Ginny devoured the man’s mouth as he slipped his fingers back in between her legs._

_Mike swore he felt bile rise in his throat._

_“Let’s get out of here, mami,” it was phrased as a suggestion, but it was really an order._

_Ginny groaned. “I can’t…papi,” she whimpered as Livan increased pressure on her clit. Mike felt both simultaneously repulsed and turned on as his dick hardened. “I’m supposed to be leaving with Mike in a few minutes.”_

_“Tell him you’re not feeling well and leave with me instead,” he suggested._

_Ginny’s tightened her grip on his biceps as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her breathing hitched as Livan stroked her with a knowing hand. “You know I can’t do that,” she replied. “Besides, Mike would instantly leave and take care of me himself. He’d put me on bed rest for like a week just in case.”_

_“Or you can leave and tell him it’s none of his damn business,” Livan stated. At Ginny’s expression, he laughed. “He’s not your boyfriend, right?”_

_“Right, but that’s not the point.” Ginny’s seriousness was undermined by her deep moans._

_“Then what’s the point, mami?” Livan switch positions with Ginny so that she was pushed up against the shed. She gasped as he added another finger. “If he’s just your friend and not a boyfriend, then what’s the issue with him knowing the truth: that you’re leaving with me to get your sweet ass pounded—that you love how nice and full my big ass dick makes you feel.” He laughed. “God, I’d love to see his face—he shit his pants.”_

_(No, he did not shit his pants, but he dick was pretty hard and, involuntarily, he kept touching it to provide momentary relief)_

_Mike felt his face going warm and knew it had turned red._

_“Livan,” Ginny chastised through a moan._

_“I don’t see the issue with him knowing,” he remarked. “Unless…you want him to be your boyfriend. Mike reeeeallly doesn’t like me; mami, and he’d absolutely flipped if he knew fucking on a very regular basis. An you know how he is: his face would go red as it always because he wants to strangle me and he’d have all those weird veins on his forehead and neck.”_

_“Okay, first of all, you know I have a rule against dating my friends—whether I want them or not. Second, I don’t want Mike to be my boyfriend—he’s just a friend; I don’t see him like that. ‘And third, it doesn’t matter if he’d absolutely flipped or not, it’s my body and I can fuck whoever I want to.” Ginny grabbed Livan’s tented jeans and he hissed in response. “But, I do reserve the right to keep my business my business and if you want to keep fucking me, you’ll respect that, papi.”_

_Livan peppered kisses along her jaw. “My bad, mami, but it’s not like you haven’t gotten involved with a friend before. I mean, you did break your rule for Trevor and…you’re fucking me. Unless…your rule only applies to dating and sex is fair game. Either way, I’m not complaining.”_

_“Really, papi, you’re going to bring up Trevor,” Ginny said in disbelief. “That was a one time thing and I’m never doing that again.”_

_Livan laughed. “And what about me?”_

_“This is different,” she said weakly, clearly unwillingly to justify how and why it’s different._

_She left with Livan_

 

“Damn, man, I—“

 

“No, it’s fine,” Mike cut off. A beer cap bounced against the concrete as Mike took a sip before he spoke again, “Regardless of what happened between her and Trevor or her and Livan, it doesn’t mean she has to like me or return my feelings. She just isn’t into me. It’s fine.”

 

At a loss for words, Blip said, “I—I just could’ve sworn she was into you. I’ve known Ginny for a while and—“

 

Mike shrugged. “Does it matter? In her eyes, I was just a friend. Nothing else matters.”

 

Tears moistened Ginny’s eyes long after the two men left the garage

 

3.

 

MONTH ONE

 

When Mike found out about Ginny and Livan, he felt dozens of emotions: anger, betrayal, melancholy, confusion, and so on.

 

Livan.

 

Livan?

 

Of all people, Livan?

 

But, when he thought back to her words, she was right: it was her body. And, most importantly, it was her right to discriminate who she wanted to get involved with romantically, sexually, or platonically. Livan was right: Mike wasn’t her boyfriend and she didn’t need to be secretive about their involvement. But, Ginny was also right: It’s her choice to decide who know what and how much information to divulge.

 

But, either way it went: she was not interested in him or him knowing those personal facts about her.

 

Maybe she thought he wouldn’t be able to take it or, simply, they weren’t close enough for her to share.

 

Livan knew.

 

And whatever their relationship was, he was clearly privy to information that Mike was not.

 

As confused and heartbroken as Mike was, one thing remained clear: he needed to enforce boundaries with Ginny and stop whatever the hell they were doing when others weren’t around.

 

Maybe Ginny was a touchy-feely type person.

 

Maybe she did it to placate him, so he wouldn’t leave like her other ‘friends.’

 

Regardless, it couldn’t happen anymore—it wouldn’t.

 

He wouldn’t abandon her because she didn’t return his feelings and got involved with other men who were her friends—he honestly valued their friendship and her as a person.

 

As the months passed, he’d figured that he inquiries into his modified behavior was because she was afraid he’d leave her if he couldn’t touch her anymore. He felt insulted that Ginny thought so little of him. He felt insulted on the behalf of Ginny that’s he felt she had to do that to keep him around. He felt stupid for misreading the situation and projecting feelings on her that wasn’t there.

 

~

 

3 MONTHS

 

Mike wonders why he hadn’t seen it sooner.

 

Maybe because she’d said there was nothing going on between her and Mike, which was technically true.

 

But, she’d taken Livan as a lover.

 

The secret grins and disappearing together.

 

He was a fool.

 

~

 

10 MONTHS

 

Livan kissed Ginny’s shoulder.

 

“What’s wrong, mami?”

 

“Hmm…nothing,” she lied. “Why?”

 

“I don’t know…you just seem distracted,” he explained.

 

She was.

 

This arrangement with Livan was supposed to relieve stress, not add to it. But, every time Ginny lay down with him, she became more and more stressed. She couldn’t enjoy sex when, as every day passed, Mike pulled more and more away from her.

 

Never in a million years would she have ever thought she’d sleep with Livan.

 

As the popular saying goes: timing is everything.

 

For the past few months, Ginny had been in a dry spell and the fact that she was sharing a bed with Mike certainly hadn’t helped things. Then, there was partial stress at work—it was universally accepted that’s she needed to get laid.

 

After her third one night-stand, Ginny was more frustrated than she was before she started having sex again. The sex was hit or miss and she didn’t cum how she wanted. She’d have to instruct them and/or finish herself off.

 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want her numbers to be high, she just wanted to regularly sleep with one person who she’d knew would please her.

 

_In her somewhat buzzed mind, she considered Livan as he sat next to her in the bar. The thought wouldn’t leave her head as she watched him flirt with countless girls. Not only had she heard the stories about Livan, she’s heard them herself as she sat on the other side of the wall. Those women not only sounded satisfied, they came out looking satisfied._

_In the back of her mind, it said ‘but, he’s a friend.’ Where as the other side said, ‘but, it’s different.”_

_Ginny never questioned why, but frustrated and yearning for a satisfactory fuck, she placed her hand on Livan’s thigh and looked at him knowingly._

_“Mami?” Ginny thought it was sweet that he looked at her with concerned eyes._

_“Don’t worry, I’m not drunk,” she reassured. In his ear, she whispered. “Let’s go back to your place._

_Hers was closer, but she never stopped to ask herself why she wanted to go out of her way to Livan’s place._

 

“Harder,” she gasped as Livan pounded into her.

 

Maybe if he fucked her hard enough, she’d stop feeling guilty and Mike would stop haunting her.

 

Maybe she’d forget about his new girlfriend Kendra.

 

Ginny wrapped her legs around Livan’s hips as he continued to pump. The feel of him and the sound of their skin slapping together…she was almost there. Just—

 

Moments later, the two friends wordlessly stared at the ceiling.

 

“You should talk to Mike,” Livan suggested, but it really sounded like an order.

 

“I can’t.” Tears slipped from Ginny’s eyes and rolled down her face. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be.” Livan looked at her. “No matter how much you denied it, I think I’ve always known you were into Mike and you just couldn’t admit it.”

 

Ginny sniffled.

 

“Just don’t tell anyone you called out his name instead; I have a reputation to maintain, mami.”

 

Ginny laughed

 

~

 

19 MONTHS

 

“Papi, don’t look at me like that.” Ginny finished her beer, and then opened another one.

 

“Like, what?” He shrugged. “That you’re leading these guys along when you’re clearly not interested in them?”

 

“Like, I’m wrong for trying to move on with my life,” she corrected.

 

Livan huffed. “I told you to talk to him, mami.”

 

“And I told you I couldn’t,” she affirmed. “Mike had a girlfriend when you told me that,” she reminded. “And now he’s back with Rachel. They’re probably going to be remarried in five months top, then have a million kids, and live happily ever after.”

 

“Ugh…” Livan groaned. “You’re so dramatic when you’re pining.”

 

“Am I NOT dramatic,” Ginny said, offended.

 

“You are, mami,” Livan repeated. “And you’ve been pining for months.” He bit into his sandwich and spoke as he chewed. “And you have nothing to worry about with Rachel. Mike wants to still be in love with her, but that’s clearly over with.”

 

“Papi, no offense, but you don’t know Mike: he’s crazy in love with Rachel,” Ginny remarked. “Now that they’re back together, he’s never letting her go.”

 

“I don’t know Mike, but I do know a man in love when I see one and Rachel ain’t the one he’s in love with.”

 

Expectantly, Livan looked at Ginny.

 

4.

 

25 MONTHS

 

“I know you know,” Ginny declared.

 

Mike picked at the label on his beer bottle. “It’s none of my business, Baker.”

 

Stunned, Ginny looked at Mike. She’s surprised he didn’t pretend ignorance.

 

“But, it is your business,” she asserted.

 

Mike glanced at her. “It’s not. Even if it contradicts your rule, who you date or fuck is none of my business.”

 

“So, that’s what we’re going now,” she questioned. “First, you pretend that you didn’t change and now you’re holding your tongue?”

 

Mike placed his beer on the counter with a thud. “What do you want from me Ginny? To yell at you? To curse you out? To get mad about you about dating Trevor or fucking Livan? What right do I have? What difference does it make? What does this change? If the answer to all three is no, then there is no use in discussing this.” Tiredly, Mike rubbed his face. “What do you want from me Ginny? I didn’t pursue you, despite my feelings—I obeyed your rule. Despite my feelings for you and your lack of feelings for me, I remained your friend because I care about you and our friendship. What more could you possibly want from me?”

 

Quietly, Ginny sniffed and said, “You. I just want you.”

 

~

 

There irony didn’t escape Ginny that her not dating Mike and him being the ideal friend rather than pursing her is what devastated her.

 

~

 

29 MONTHS

 

He’s holding back.

 

Mike is a great boyfriend: doting, considerate, and observant.

 

He listens more than he talks and he rarely is told anything twice.

 

He’s sincere when asking her about her day, does things for her just because, takes her out on dates and cooks her dinner regularly, and this isn’t even mentioning the sex, which is phenomenal.

 

Livan was fantastic, but Mike…Ginny clinches her thighs at just the thought of him. At times, she doesn’t know if she prefers his mouth or his cock (and his fingers deserves an honorable mention)

 

Ginny wouldn’t change much about him, except that he’s not100% invested. She knows he loves her, but he’s afraid that she’ll hurt him like Rachel. A part of Ginny understands why he’s insecure about them and the other part is hurt that he’d think she’d ever do him like that. Ginny’s at a loss at what she can do to prove herself—what she could do to make him stop doubting her.

 

~

 

30 MONTHS

 

“ _You’re still my best friend and I hope that you’ll always be, Ginny; it’s just that this—us, confuses me…. I need some time.”_

 

~

 

In a million years, Livan never expected Mike to break up with Ginny.

 

Apparently, pigs had taken flight.

 

They’d all been invited to the same dinner party and Livan came with Ginny as support. As much as she pretended otherwise, he knew she wasn’t taking the breakup well.

 

Although Livan hated to admit it, he’d never seen Ginny look as happy as she was with Mike in all of the time he’d known her. Sure, she was happy when she and Mike were just friends, but when she was actually with him? She practically glowed from head to toe.

 

So, when he saw Ginny blanch at the site of Mike and basically leave the room in tears when she saw Mike’s date, all Livan saw was white.

 

He vaguely remember throwing the first punch before they crashed into a table and Mike hit him a good three times in the face before Ginny pulled him off.

 

Betrayal flashed across Mike’s face as he straightened out his clothes and grabbed his date.

 

Even though Mike made Ginny happy, Livan thought he was a jackass.

 

~

 

At this point, Livan would happily welcome back pining Ginny if that meant he never get to see miserable Ginny again.

 

Pining Ginny at least spoke and tried to live her life; miserable Ginny was constantly sad and almost robot like.

 

So, he goes sees Mike.

 

“You’re a fool,” Livan accuses.

 

For some crazy reason, Mike let Livan into him place. For some crazy reason, Livan went into Mike’s place.

 

They’ve never been on the best terms and would probably kill each other if it wouldn’t devastate Ginny and if they could get away with it.

 

Yet, here they were.

 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Mike replies, monotone.

 

“You know how many guys would kill to be with Ginny,” Livan said. “How many guys who’d kill to have her look at them let alone smile at them?”

 

“You?” Mike crossed his arms and stared pointedly at Livan.

 

If this had been any other occasion, Livan would gloat, but his best friend was heartbroken and he’d die before he made the situation worse. “If you’re concerned about me, you’re an even bigger fool than I thought. Ginny loves you and only you. Why concern yourself with trivial shit?”

 

“Believe me, this is probably the best thing for her,” Mike remarked.

 

“Oh, so you know what’s better for Ginny than Ginny,” Livan shot back. “I forgot: she doesn’t know how her own feelings and how to think for herself.”

 

“My life is garbage and I’m a dumpster fire; things go smoothly at first and then I fuck things up,” Mike explained.

 

Livan rolled his eyes. “Bullshit! That’s not why you broke up with her and you know it. You can’t stand the fact that me and Ginny had sex.”

 

As Mike got into Livan’s face, he yelled, “It kills me! It kills me that you and Ginny had sex. I want to be an adult and get over it—I want to be a bigger person and put it behind me, but every time I see you two together or she talks about you, all I can think of is how long you two were fucking without me knowing—that she lied straight to my face about nothing going on between you two. That she’d cuddle with me, go to bed with me, and then say she doesn’t get involved with her friends all while fucking you!” Mike’s voice cracked as he spoke. “And then, now, that’s she’s decided that she’s wants me, I’m supposed to forget all of that. I’m supposed to forget that she never told me about Trevor or that we’re only together because I wouldn’t fucking cuddle with her anymore. Gee, I wonder where would we be if I never found out?”

 

~

 

3 WEEKS LATER

 

Ginny smoothed down her outfit, and then answered the door.

 

“Thanks for coming, Mike.” She closed the door behind him after he entered.

 

Mike nodded, and then followed Ginny to the loveseat and two cups of coffer waited for them on the coffee table.

 

Ginny gathered her thoughts after they sat down.

 

Before Ginny could speak, Mike said, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. With how everything has turned out between us, it makes sense why you have your rule.”

 

“Mike…” Ginny sighed. “I do. I don’t owe you a relationship, but I do owe you an explanation.” She sipped her coffee. “Every since this moment we met, there has always been an attraction between us. I thought that it would go away or just lie dormant, but I never expect it to grow and I never expected to fall in love with you. I know you don’t believe this, but you know me better than anyone. But, when it came to Trevor, I just couldn’t talk about him—I couldn’t say the words because I was afraid that you’d convince me to break my rule again and, even in the very beginning of our friendship, I knew that you were the most significant person—most significant friend I’d ever had and I didn’t want to lose that.

 

“But, it was wrong of me to harp on my rule and allow us to cross some lines we shouldn’t have been near to begin with. I wanted to have my cake and eat it to all while you want to be friend as you fought to keep your feelings at bay. I wasn’t being fair to you. And, for that, I apologize. I prioritized my own feelings over your feelings and how my actions confused you.”

 

“Thank you.” Mike stared at his hands before he stole a look at her. “I apologize as well.”

 

“For what?” She looked at him. “For being confused. Mike, I sent out a lot of contradictory signals, I can’t blame you for needing time to figure out your feelings or even questioning what mine are.”

 

Mike exhaled. “Baker, I’m madly in love with you and I think I’ve always been, he admitted. “And even if you don’t share my feelings, I’m not going to stop being your friend. I’m an adult and friendships like yours, the non-confusing parts, are one of a kind. I don’t want you to feel you have to do anything you don’t want to do just to keep me around.”

 

Ginny frowned. “Mike, you aren’t listening to me. Everything I did before we got together—us getting together, I WANTED that. But, I was afraid. I didn’t do anything I do want to do and I refuse to just to keep someone in my life—no matter how much I care for them. I cared about Trevor a lot—“

 

“You don’t have to—“ Mike tried to interrupt.

 

“I want to,” Ginny continued. “I cared about Trevor a lot and he convinced me to break my rule. He had this clever little argument about how we weren’t technically friends, so I wasn’t really breaking my rule. And then, whenever he’d get jealous of my male friends, he’s always use our relationship as a reason to cast doubt on them. I could never win with him and so I ended things because he wasn’t the guy I thought he was.”

 

At this, Mike bit his lip. “What about Livan?”

 

“We never dated, it was strictly sex,” she clarified. “It’s kinda funny, when we were together, it was strictly about sex in that moment and when we were apart, I never thought about him romantically. It was different with Livan because I knew that those lines wouldn’t get muddled. I didn’t know how, but I wasn’t afraid of him developing feelings—I knew I wouldn’t—and so it was easy for me to be with him in that way without being afraid of why I put the rule in place in the first place.

 

“But, with you, it wouldn’t had ever been just about sex. I wouldn’t been able to do with you what I did with Livan and we both know that. I was just afraid of breaking my rule again in such a big way and actually losing someone in a way that would crush me. But, I never meant to hurt you or have you doubt me, my feelings for you or our relationship. I love you; Mike, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that.”

 

Mike grabbed Ginny’s hand and lightly traced her palm before interlacing his fingers with his own. “Just give me some time, okay. I love you, I just need time.”

 

Comforted by his words, Ginny nodded.

 

~

 

3 YEARS LATER

 

Mike beamed as Ginny walked down the aisle.

 

He gaze was momentarily torn from Ginny as he looked as Livan as he tried to quiet Penelope, Mike and Ginny’s daughter.

 

Although Ginny could’ve handled the situation better, Mike realized that period in Ginny’s life had been confusing for her. Having feelings for him and being unable to admit them—being afraid what she could lose if she did, especially if she wanted to pursue their feelings. Mike and Livan hating each other; one man being in love with her as she took the other for her lover.

 

Mike and Livan still weren’t the best of buddies, but they were at least civil now. Mike knew that Livan wasn’t a threat to him (especially after Ginny told him about the last time they had sex). He could be an adult and get past it.

 

He had a wonderful daughter and was about to become the husband of a phenomenal woman.

 

They started their new chapter with: I do.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't forgotten about any of the other stories. 1. I've been stressed out at work (thankfully, for no reason) 2. I'm on vacation with limited internet. 3. Writer's block, it's a bitch, but we can't always write a story without interruption.


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